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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27452530">Not Alone</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot'>Onehelluvapilot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr prompt fics [29]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abandonment Issues, Bullying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hazing, Hurt Lancelot (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Protective Leon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:29:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,090</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27452530</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Leon refuses to let an injured and traumatized Lancelot isolate himself and protects him from demons both internal and and external.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lancelot &amp; Leon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr prompt fics [29]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1922554</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Not Alone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Set in the same au as a couple of my other leoncelot stories, where Lancelot became a knight after 1x05 but faced a lot of bullying from the other knights</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"I'll be okay, Leon," Lance tried to reassure his protector. This statement was slightly undercut by the way he limped across the room to his bed. Not to mention his general appearance. The black eye and cut face did not exactly inspire confidence in his ability to look after himself, nor did his rigid posture and movements. Despite his best efforts to hide it, it wasn't hard to see that the short walk from Gaius's chambers to his own had been hard, and taken a lot out of him. "You don't need to watch me every moment," he continued as he sank carefully down to his bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Respectfully, Lancelot, I'm not so sure of that," Leon countered as he closed and dead bolted the knight's door behind him. Finding a chair against the wall, he dragged it over in front of the door before sitting down in it. Despite the uncomfortable way the pommel of his sword dug into his side, he didn't remove his weapon's belt. He had always been a cautious man by nature and now not knowing who to trust out of even the knights he commanded was pushing him over into the downright anxious category. But was it really paranoia if Lancelot was actually in danger? He'd been on edge the entire time he'd been escorting the injured knight back to his chambers, and the fear had barely lessened now that they were there. "The ones that did this may come back for more, to finish the job, and I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> leaving you to them. And honestly, I'm not convinced that you're as okay as you say you are." Lancelot looked up for half a second at that, but then quickly away after making eye contact. Leon took this as an admission of the truth of this. His heart broke all over again, and if he'd thought Lance would want him to, he would have gone over to hug him immediately. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As it was, he kept himself firmly seated in the chair. He had a bad feeling standing up to approach his friend may just earn him a scared and/or pained flinch. He wouldn't blame him if it did, given what had happened. If Leon had been imprisoned and tortured by other knights of Camelot, men who were supposed to be his brothers in arms and have his back through the thick and thin, he would have trust issues too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I understand if you don't trust any other knights after this," he added. "Even me. I mean, with what they did to you, and just because you were born a commoner-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Please, stop talking about it," Lancelot whispered. His left eye, the one that hadn't already been swollen shut, was squeezed tightly closed, head bowed forward, and arms pulled in as he tried to make himself smaller. "And don't… Leon, you're the only knight left that I do trust. I don't know where I would be right now without you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon himself had a terrifyingly good idea of where Lancelot would be; either still in the dungeons or dead. The knight, who had been stripped of his cloak and armor and left half naked on the stone floor as part of the "initiation ritual," would have succumbed to the cold after not much longer. The numerous kicks delivered to his arms, legs, and abdomen, and even a few to his face, hadn't helped. They'd weakened and pained him enough that he wouldn't have been able to fight back or escape, even if he'd tried to. Lancelot wouldn't have, though. Until the end, when Leon and Merlin had finally found him after almost three days, he'd thought it was part of a process all knights went through to prove their strength and endurance. He wouldn't have fought back against the hazing ritual, as that would have been seen as cowardice and weakness. And Lancelot was always so desperate to prove himself, since he had been born as a commoner and many within the castle thought he should have remained one instead of being re-elevated to knight </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A choked noise pulled Leon out of his furious reverie of planning revenge if they ever caught the knights that had initiated the stunt or any of the other bullying. He looked up to see Lancelot crying, one hand covering his mouth as if to quiet himself. Still he fought not to show any weakness in front of others</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's okay," Leon tried to reassure him. "You're safe now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know, 'cause you're here," he mumbled, moving both hands up to clench in his hair as he pulled his legs onto the bed and up to his chest. "It's not that. I've just… I've never been betrayed before. I never had friends close enough to do so."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon felt anger bloom renewed in his chest, though it had barely faded since the last atrocity. How much work had it taken Lancelot to make friends? Only for all that to be ripped away, and worse, because how would he ever learn to trust anyone now?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm so sorry Lancelot," Leon said, though words could never be enough. "Is there anything I can do?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"D-don't leave," the knight begged. He nodded, and stood up. Lancelot tensed until he came closer instead of walking away towards the door. Very carefully, mindful of the bruises that peppered the knight's entire body, he wrapped his arms around him. He let Lance control the hug so he would feel comfortable, waiting until the contact was leaned into to tighten his hold ever so slightly. "I don't know why everyone always leaves me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's not your fault," Leon said with conviction. He took his friend's face in his hands so he could look in his eyes and</span>
</p><p>
  <span>make sure he was understood. "Do you hear me? This or any other abandonment or betrayal you have suffered is not due to any failure of yours or anything you did." He pressed his forehead against the other man's, closing his eyes and hoping to will his love over. "You do not deserve to be alone. You are a good, brave man, Lancelot. I am proud to call you my friend and </span>
  <em>
    <span>I will not leave you</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Lance wrapped his own arms back around his friend, pulling him closer to press his face into his shoulder as he cried. Holding him until his tears had dried and not once letting go, Leon knew he had been right to insist on staying. Lancelot shouldn't be alone right now, or ever.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'd love to hear what you think!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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